1. Field of the Invention
The present relates to 9 composition for hardening, strengthening and improving the structure (restructuring) materials containing keratin, especially damaged keratin fibers, as well as for the volume of fibers containing keratin, especially of human hair. The present invention also relates to a method for hardening, strengthening and improving the structure (restructuring) of material containing keratin, as well as a method for increasing the volume of fibers containing keratin.
2. Prior Art
Damage to keratin-containing materials due to environmental effects (such as high-energy irradiation), the physiological status (such as the age or health of the individual in question), mechanical and chemical effects are well known. The consequences are disadvantageous mechanical properties of the materials containing the keratin in question. Such damage of the internal structure of materials, containing keratin, is shown, for example, by the loss of hardness, strength, breaking strength, tear strength or bundle tensile strength.
In the case of keratinic fibers such as human hair, for example, such effects become noticeable especially by a lack of gloss, a reduced tear strength and poor combability. They are caused by aging processes, which are brought about physiologically, or induced by physical (weathering), mechanical (combing, brushing) and chemical effect. In the case of longer hair, these effects become noticeable particularly at the tips of the hairs. Chemical effects include, particularly, the bleaching, oxidative dyeing and permanent waving of hair, since these inherently aggressive oxidation or reducing agents show their full effect moreover mostly only in a strongly alkaline medium. However, other chemical influences, such as water containing chlorine or salts, also develop harmful defects on materials containing keratin.
The tear strength measurement is a conventional method for measuring the degree of damage to the hair. For this, a tension and extension measuring device is used to measure the force, which is required to tear individual hairs. From these individual, measured values of the tear strength, the so-called bundle tensile strength (BTS) is determined in that, initially, the tear strength for a hair diameter of 0.08 mm (average diameter) is calculated from the individual values, taking into consideration the respective hair diameter. By including the hair density, the data is finally converted into units of bundle tensile strength (cN/dtex). The larger the numerical value of the tear strength or the bundle tensile strength, the less is the damage to the hair.
Conventional commercial rinses and cures contain, as active substances, mainly cationic surfactants or polymers, waxes and/or oils. The greater the damage to the hair, the larger is the number of anionic groups at the surface. Cationic compounds are attracted electrostatically to oppositely charged surface, whereas oils and waxes interact with the hydrophobic groups of the keratin. An improvement in the structure of the interior of the hair can therefore not be attained with these care products.
It was therefore an object of the present invention to make available a preparation, especially a cosmetic preparation, which eliminates the disadvantages mentioned above.
Pursuant to the invention, this objective attained with a preparation containing at least one reducing, aliphatic or cyclic compound containing the grouping of atoms xe2x80x94(HO)Cxe2x95x90C(OH)xe2x80x94, including its isomeric forms, as well as its salts and esters, as a means for hardening, strengthening and restructuring materials containing keratin.
The use, for example, of ascorbic acid in hair care agents or hair dyeing agents is known. For example, it is proposed in the European patent 0 401 454 to remove residue of hydrogen peroxide, which remain behind in human hair after an oxidative treatment, with an aqueous solution of ascorbic acid. Suitable for this are effervescent tablets, which contain ascorbic acid and are dissolved immediately before use in water, which is then used for rinsing the hair.
Furthermore, ascorbic acid is used in the German Offenlegungsschrift 1 444 2 lb in a liquid hair dyeing agent, in order to stabilize the otherwise unstable liquid agent. The oxidation hair dyeing agent of the German Offenlegungsschrift 3 642 097 also contains ascorbic acid as stabilizer.
All the more surprising was the finding that ascorbic acid can be used for improving the structure (hardening, strengthening, restructuring) of materials containing keratin, especially of fibers containing keratin, such as human hair.
Surprisingly, it was found that, due to the use of a preparation containing at least one reducing, aliphatic or cyclic compound, which contains an endiol of the grouping of atoms xe2x80x94(HO)Cxe2x95x90C(OH)xe2x80x94, including its isomeric forms, as well as its salts and esters, changes the structure of keratin-containing materials (skin appendages such as keratin fibers, hair or nails) in such a manner, that a hardening, strengthening, increase in the breaking strength, tear strength or bundle tensile strength of the material in question takes place.
In association with this, not only does a restructuring (repair) of materials containing damaged keratin become possible, but also a protective effect, which counteracts damage to these materials before or during an exposure to appropriate noxious agents and is also capable of preventing or reducing the severity of such damage.
Aside from these harmful changes, which are brought about by exogenous noxious agents, the inventive use can also develop advantageous effects in conditions or changes in the structure of keratin-containing the materials, brought about by physiological processes, such as, material (hair or nails), containing keratin that is brittle due to aging, or fine hair, which may be inherited or acquired due to aging (baby hair, hair of old age).
Associated with this, it was furthermore possible to establish that, in the case of keratinic fibers, especially in the case of hair, an increase in volume, which may have an advantageous effect in hair styling, can be achieved by the inventive use. It is suspected that the action of increasing the volume is related causally with the hair hardening, hair strengthening or the hair restructuring action of the inventive composition.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is the use of at least one reducing, aliphatic or cyclic compound, individually or as a mixture, containing the atomic grouping
xe2x80x94(HO)Cxe2x95x90C(OH)xe2x80x94
including its isomeric forms, as well as its salts and esters, in a composition for hardening, strengthening and restructuring materials containing keratin.
The isomeric forms of these atomic groupings, containing the aliphatic and cyclic compounds in question, comprise epimeric and tautomeric forms.
Pursuant to the invention, preferably reductones are used.
The present invention also includes a method for hardening, strengthening and restructuring materials containing keratin and/or for increasing the volume of fibers containing keratin, wherein a composition, containing at least one atomic grouping
xe2x80x94(HO)Cxe2x95x90C(OH)xe2x80x94
containing at least one reducing aliphatic, or cycling compound, including its isomeric forms, as well as its salts and esters, is brought into contact with the material, containing the keratin to be treated, and remains there after the application or is rinsed off or out after a suitable period of action with an aqueous agent.
Further embodiments of the present invention are given in the dependent claims.
Advantageously, for example, ascorbic acid or isoascorbic acid or its salts or esters, such as 6-O-palmitoyl ascorbate, ascorbyl phosphate, hydroxypropandial (triose reductone), 2,3-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one (reductic acid), or mixtures of these compounds, can be used. The use of ascorbic acid or isoascorbic acid, especially ascorbic acid, is preferred.
When salts of ascorbic acid or isoascorbic acid are used, the free acid can also be produced in situ from the salts, such as the alkali metal ascorbates or alkaline earth metal ascorbates or the alkali metal isoascorbates or alkaline earth metal ascorbates, by the addition of a physiologically tolerated acid (such as citric acid, glyoxylic acid, 2-oxo glutaric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid). This is of advantage because of the better solubility of the salts in water, especially at higher concentrations. Especially the calcium salt, the magnesium salt and the sodium salt of ascorbic or isoascorbic acid come into consideration here as ascorbic salt or isoascorbic salt.
As already stated, any combination of the aforementioned, reducing aliphatic and/or cyclic compounds can be used for the purpose given. Preferred is the use of the combination of ascorbic or isoascorbic acid or its salts or esters, such as 6-O-palmitoyl ascorbic acid, ascorbyl phosphate, hydroxypropandial (triose reductone), 2,3-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-l-one (reductic acid), or mixtures of these compounds, for hardening, strengthening, improving the structure (restructuring) and increasing the volume, particularly of structure-damaged materials containing keratin, especially fibers containing keratin, such as hair.
With regard to the stability or shelf life, it may be of advantage if the reducing aliphatic and/or cyclic compound, on which the invention is based, is enveloped by a protective layer. For such a case, cellulose-enveloped or silicone-enveloped compounds come into consideration. For example, the silicone-enveloped ascorbic acid, obtainable under the name SC or the ethylcellulose-enveloped ascorbic acid, obtainable under the name EC from Hoffmann LaRoche Basel.
As preferred amounts, 0.3 to 50% by weight and especially 0.5 to 10% by weight of the reducing, aliphatic and/or cyclic compound in question can be used.
The composition, described for the inventive use, may be contained in any suitable formulation, which is known in the cosmetics or pharmaceutical industry. In particular, the composition may be an aqueous or aqueous alcoholic solution, a gel, a cream, or an emulsion or a foam, the composition being produced in the form of a single component preparation as well as in the form of a multi-component preparation.
In the case of a single component preparation, the composition may contain at least one reducing aliphatic and/or cyclic compound of the present invention, (such ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate) together with suitable inert and carrier materials (such as thickeners, acids, fragrances, solvents, salts, wetting agents, UV absorbers).
If the composition is in the form of a multi-component preparation, it may consist of at least two different components, which are separated spatially from one another, until they are used. A first component may contain either the reducing, aliphatic and/or cyclic compound (active ingredient) of the present invention alone or the active ingredient may be present together with an inert material (such as a thickening agent), advantageously in solid dry form (for example, as a powder, either pressed or not pressed, as a granulate or as tablets) in admixture with this first component. A second or further component contains only inert materials and carrier materials.
It is, however, also possible that different components of different inventive, active ingredients are contained either individually or as a mixture in a multi-component preparation, either by themselves or simultaneously together with different inert materials and that the other component contains only inert materials and carriers.
With respect to handling and stability (shelf life), a multi-component preparation of the active ingredients, on which the invention is based, may be of advantage.
The invention therefore also comprises the use of a composition, wherein the composition is present as a one-component preparation or as a multi-component preparation, the composition of the one-component preparation containing at least one reducing, aliphatic and/or cyclic compound together with inert materials and additives and the composition in the multi-component preparation comprising a first component, which contains at least one reducing, aliphatic and/or cyclic compound with or without inert ingredients and additives and that a second component contains only inert ingredients and additives, or the composition in the multi-component preparation comprising at least three different components, of which at least two contain at least one, in each case different, reducing, aliphatic and/or cyclic compound and that at least on further component contains only inert ingredients and additives.
It is, of course, obvious that, to prepare a ready-for use composition or preparation, the spatially separate individual components of a multi-component preparation must be mixed shortly before the inventive use.
Aside from being produced in powder form, the inventive composition, as protection against the formation of dust, can also be prepared as tabletsxe2x80x94even as effervescing tabletsxe2x80x94or as granulate. Before use, the composition is then prepared from this with cold or water, optionally with the addition of one or more of the inert ingredients named below. It is, however, also possible that these inert ingredients (provided that they are present in solid form) are already contained in the powder or granulate or in the effervescing tablet. Dust formation can be reduced additionally by wetting the powder with oils or waxes.
The composition, on which the invention is based, may contain additional inert ingredients, such as solvents, like water, low molecular weight aliphatic alcohols, such as ethanol, n-propanol and isopropanol, glycol ethers or glycols, such as glycerin and, in particular, 1,2-propylene glycol, furthermore wetting agents or emulsifiers from the classes of anionic, cationic, amphoteric or nonionic surface active substances, such as fatty alcohol sulfates, ethoxylated fatty alcohol sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkyltrimethylammonium salts, alkyl betaines, ethoxylated fatty alcohols, ethoxylated nonylphenols, fatty acid alkanolamides, ethoxylated fatty alcohols, ethoxylated nonylphenols, fatty acid alkanolamides, ethoxylated fatty acid esters, furthermore thickeners, such as higher molecular weight fatty alcohols, starch or cellulose derivatives, thiols, ketocarboxylic acids (oxocarboxylic acids), particularly xcex1-ketocarboxylic acids or their physiologically tolerated salts, UV absorbers, perfumes, dyes, hair pre-treating agents, conditioners, hair swelling agents, preservatives, Vaseline, paraffin oil and fatty acids, as well as other care agents such as cationic resins, lanolin derivatives, cholesterol, pantothenic acid and betaine.
The pH of the composition preferably is about 1.8 to 7.0 and especially 3.0 to 6.5. If necessary, the pH can be adjusted to the desired value by the addition of further acids such xcex1-hydroxycarboxylic acids, like lactic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid or malic acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, glutathione, or gluconic acid lactone, or of alkalizing agents such as alkanolamines, alkylamines, alkali hydroxides, ammonium hydroxides, alkali carbonates, ammonium carbonates or alkali phosphates.
The composition can either remain at the site of the application, that is, after it is brought into contact with the material containing the keratin to be treated, or removed once again after a period of action of one minute up to about one hour at a temperature between 20xc2x0 C. and about 60xc2x0 C. The method depends on the nature of the material to be treated and can therefore be varied.
In the event that the use is directed to a method for the treatment of fibers containing keratin, the composition may also remain there (for example, in the hair) or be rinsed out once again after use. In the latter case, the period of action of the composition depends on the temperature (about 20xc2x0 to 50xc2x0 C.) and is 1 minute to 60 minutes and especially 5 minutes to 20 minutes, it being possible to accelerate the repair action (hardening, restructuring, optionally the therewith associated increase in volume) by supplying heat and, at the end of the period of action, the hair is rinsed with water and optionally washed with a shampoo. The inventive composition can also be used as a pre-treating agent before dyeing the hair or before a permanent wave treatment, in order to prevent damage to the hair by these oxidative treatments.
It was possible to note that the inventive use of at least one of the aliphatic and/or cyclic compounds described or the inventive method of the present invention makes possible a clear improvement in the structure of fibers containing previously damaged keratin, an improvement, which can be confirmed by a statistically highly significant increase in the tear strength.